ASHIRE COMMUNICATIONS GENERATESNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION FOR PADDLEFEST
Paddlefest received more news media attention in 2011 than it had in any of its prior nine years. That
success came about after Paddlefest hired Elliot Grossman and Ashire Communications for
media relations.
With strong support from Paddlefest leaders, Ashire generated stories in hundreds of media outlets across the United States. The stories helped Paddlefest increase its paid registration by 20 percent.
More than 2,200 paddlers participated in Paddlefest’s signature event -- an 8-mile float on the Ohio River -- helping Paddlefest keep its status as the nation’s largest paddling event. About 4,000 children attended the Kids Expo portion of Paddlefest, maintaining its distinction as the largest event of its type in the Midwest.
News coverage included:
-- Photos and a story on the national wire of The Associated Press. More than 300 news websites carried that coverage including The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Charlotte Observer, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The San Diego Union-Tribune.
-- A story and a photo that dominated the front of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Local News section. It focused on Paddlefest’s founder, Brewster Rhoads. At least a dozen news websites across the U.S. picked up the news feature.
-- A half dozen stories on WCPO-TV, Channel 9 in Cincinnati, Paddlefest’s media sponsor, including live broadcasts from the banks of Ohio River as paddlers took to the water.
-- More than two pages in Cincinnati Magazine devoted to exploring Greater Cincinnati’s role as the Paddling Capital of the U.S.
-- A story and photo on The Huffington Post about a Paddlefest organizer paddling all five Great Lakes in five days.
-- Photos and a story on the national wire of The Associated Press. More than 300 news websites carried that coverage including The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Charlotte Observer, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The San Diego Union-Tribune.
-- A story and a photo that dominated the front of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Local News section. It focused on Paddlefest’s founder, Brewster Rhoads. At least a dozen news websites across the U.S. picked up the news feature.
-- A half dozen stories on WCPO-TV, Channel 9 in Cincinnati, Paddlefest’s media sponsor, including live broadcasts from the banks of Ohio River as paddlers took to the water.
-- More than two pages in Cincinnati Magazine devoted to exploring Greater Cincinnati’s role as the Paddling Capital of the U.S.
-- A story and photo on The Huffington Post about a Paddlefest organizer paddling all five Great Lakes in five days.
“Elliot Grossman did a fantastic job garnering print, TV, radio and online media coverage for the 10th annual Paddlefest. He designed a media relations plan that paid off big time as he pitched our event to local and national media outlets. Thanks to his work with The AP, the wire service story on Paddlefest was picked up by nearly 200 media outlets around the U.S. I highly recommend Elliot to any organization interested in using the media to communicate its message!”
Brewster Rhoads, Chair and Founder of the Ohio River Way Paddlefest, Cincinnati
Brewster Rhoads, Chair and Founder of the Ohio River Way Paddlefest, Cincinnati
egrossman@ashire.net / 513-240-9801 / Loveland, Ohio
PADDLEFEST
